Before I started blogging I had spent 5 years working for Barnes & Noble so I was no stranger to books (and book discounts!). I had a sizeable library and was happy with my reading to book ratio. Then I started blogging and all tomes broke loose! Every year in May I would stack up my unread books in one place and take and inventory of sorts. Here’s my picture from that first year in 2008…
At the time I didn’t even do a count.
New motherhood being what it was I skipped last year’s wall building. But then I felt like my books have slowly been taking over every room in the house so I decided it was time to rebuild the wall. I always rebuild the same way every year so I can find all of the books. (yes, this is silly, but I sometimes get a little OCD about my books). Two years ago my stacks looked like this
A little bigger at 604. So, in a marathon of book balancing done while my little one was sleeping I rebuilt the wall minus the 20 some books I read and the 20 odd books I gave away…
And then added in the books I’ve acquired in the last two years. Needless to say, I got a great workout hauling all these books around the house, but worry about next year’s wall of books if I don’t start reading more!
Okay, now for the QUIZ -Open to anyone- Guess the number of unread books I have in my house by looking at this last picture. The person who comes closest by Sunday will help me out by choosing one book from the picture as a gift. (I did at least give you a few numbers from two years ago :))
For all my regulars – I will be awarding points based on how close you get to the real number.
Leaderboard here. Last weeks’s Florida Quiz here.
Stacy's Books 
OMG! 350?
I wish (sorta) that were true! 54 points!
I guess 761’ish…LOL. I used to have a lot more than I do now. I’ve weeded and weeded and weeded. Think I’m under 400 now. That actually feels better to me. So many books (and at one time I think I had over 2000) seemed like pressure. 🙂
It really does feel like pressure! I usually weed more, but since I had to do this whole operation overnight (I was up til 4 am) I didn’t take the time to do it. Maybe next year. Your guess impressed me. Only 8 off! 98 points.
My completely unscientific guess is 832.
A pretty good guess, worth 74 points 🙂
823?
76 points 🙂
785
5th place, 92 points!
Stacy, I love you! You just made me feel instantly better about my shelves, hidden drawers, and hidden stacks of books!
my guess is 804
My aim is to make you happy 🙂 10th place, 82 points.
Wow! I’d guess 794,
8th place, 86 points.
I feel much better about my stack of books now! I’ll guess there are about 850 books in those stacks.
I’m glad I made you feel better 🙂 70 points.
OMG!!!! I could spend hours looking at all these books. I’d love to know how you keep Gage at bay. 😉 My guess is 793.
Oh, I started this as soon as Gage went to sleep at 8:30. Buit it, took pics, counted, took inventory, and then took it all down before he woke up. I went to bed at 4 am 🙂 7th place, 88 points.
OMG!!! And I though I was bad 🙂
My guess is 840.
My aim is to make everyone feel better about their own piles 🙂 82 points.
I am afraid to put mine all together like that! You are so brave. My guess is 755.
Brave and silly 🙂 4th place, 94 points.
Wow so many books. My guess is 380. Good luck with the A to Z challenge
Good luck to you too. 56 points.
Wow that’s a wall of books! I was all about counting my books when I was a kid. But I’ve since donated 95% of those to classrooms and to charities, since I don’t really need to be reading Goosebumps and Animorphs at 26 years old (but do not touch my Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter)! Now, I try to buy many of my books as Ebooks, because I like to take them with me when I travel. I still buy hard copies sometimes, but we move every few years and carrying hundreds of books would get old quickly.
I guess 775.
You are the winner!!!! Yea 🙂 You were only 6 over the real number. I know you don’t need another book, but you won one anyway 🙂
I never NEED another book but I always WANT another book! Thanks for letting me know I’ve won!
My guess is 975. I actually got read of most of my books. I now have about 500 on my Nook (e reader). I have been trying to simplify things in my home. Once I got use to it, I like it. I take my nook most places or I can read on my iPhone or iPad. I thought I would never give up reading the actual book but I have and now I love it.
I use my Nook sparingly. It’s okay, but I still feel more connection with the book. Thanks for playing along. 60 points.
I’m not going to guess but you just made me feel a whole heck of a lot better about my pile. 🙂 Good luck. Looks like some purging needs to happen. Good luck!
Purge? No way! 😉
I’ll guess 725. My pile would look similar if I could account for my unread ebooks as well.
I’m not even considering my Nook! That would be too scary 🙂 Thanks for playing along. 78 points.
752? I have a “TO READ” pile of about 20 and that is overwhelming to me. The problem is…we have two book sales in our town a year and of course, I HAVE to go (and I have to get more books)!
A good guess, 6th place for 90 points. I can’t resist the library sales either 🙂
1,000
Thank goodness you’re over 🙂 58 points.
729.
I would think it is a few more than that, but I like that particular number, and am going with it.
I have a Mt. TBR of about two dozen books, which I think it too big- you made me feel better about my obsession.
It’s the people that feel worse about their stacks that I worry about 🙂 80 points.
I’ll go with 945. Whatever it is it’s an impressive pile of books. I don’t know if mine would match yours. I do have them all over the house including many in my garage. I’m all set in my reading for many years to come.
I started gathering them all in one place years ago, when I had considerably less books 🙂 62 points 🙂
906. You are too funny. 🙂
Oh, and I love Cary Grant, too.
I aim to entertain! 64 points.
LOL Stacy, love it … I’m too scared to do mine but you made me feel better. You’ll need a new room addition if your library keeps growing at that rate 🙂
I’m guessing 782
A new library addition sounds a little like heaven 🙂 You came in 3rd place!!! 96 points.
I keep a running total of my books because I keep a catalog of my fiction which numbers at last count…well over 2000. Yikes! Aren’t the stacks just beautiful? Nothing quite like it in the world, in my opinion. 😉
My guess = 860
Over 2000 and you just moved recently, Yikes! 68 points.
I did something very similar to this while I was still pregnant. It was embarrassing! I would love to do it again, but I don’t have the time nor my husband’s patience 🙂
My guess …. 876
I think I did it when Gage was still sleeping in a bassinet a lot during the day, but last couldn’t because he was just starting to walk. This year I did it overnight which was crazy, but crazy fun 🙂 So, I gave up sleep for it. Thankfully my mom was visiting so I got to sleep in, a lot! 66 points.
735 unread books!! I am in awe of your book wall!!
It awes me too 🙂 84 points.